Chris Martin: Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, harmonicaJonny Buckland: lead guitar
Guy Berryman: bass guitar
Will Champion: drums
Lead singer: Christopher Anthony John Martin
Born on March 3, 1977
in Devonshire village of Whitestones
Family: He's the eldest son among five children. Chris has four siblings - two sisters and two brothers. His dad is an accountant and magistrate and his mum is a biology teacher who was born and raised in Zimbabwe; they both live in Somerset. Chris' wife Gwyneth once said: "You hear terrible stories about mothers-in-law but mine is so fantastic and loving. ... I also have four sibling in-laws who are all incredibly different from each other and incredibly interesting and wonderful."
On December 5, 2003, Chris married actress Gwyneth Paltrow within a secret wedding ceremony in Southern Californica. They live in Belsize Park, a rather expensive area in North London, and have another home in New York.
On May 14, 2004, their daughter Apple Blythe Alison Martin was born. Her little brother Moses Bruce Anthony Martin was born almost 2 years later, on April 9, 2006.
Musical background: He played keyboard in some school bands, e.g. "The Rockin' Honkies", "The Red Rooster Boogie Band" and "Identity Crisis".
Short facts:
- The first single he bought was "There's no other way" by Blur.
- The first album he bought was Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
- When Chris was a teenager, he thought he was gay: "I was sixteen when I finally felt confident I wasn't gay. But the homophobia at public school can be pretty intense."
Lead guitarist: Jonathan Mark Buckland
Born on 11 September, 1977
in Mold (area of Clywd, North Wales)
Family: His mother was a music teacher while his father taught biology and chemistry. He has an elder brother. Jon is the only guy in the band who isn't married yet, but it's confirmed that he has a longtime girlfriend called Chloe.
Musical background: His father adored Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, therefore Jon was only eleven years old when he started learning the guitar.
Short facts:
- The first two records Jon bought were by "Beautiful South" and "Jive Bunny & The Master Mixers".
- Besides the electric guitar, he can also play the piano and harmonica, just like Chris!
Bassist: Guy Rupert Berryman
Born on 12 April, 1978
in Kirkaldy (Fife, Scotland)
Family: His father was an engineer, while his mother was a housewife. Guy lived in Kirkaldy until he was 13 and then moved to Canterbury in Kent with his family. He has one brother who's called Mark. As his dad was an engineer, Guy first picked the subject Engineering at university, but soon found it too difficult, so he switched to Architecture.
In Fall 2004, Guy married his childhood sweetheart Joanna Briston in a low-key ceremony.
Musical background: Guy started learning the recorder when he was eight, then he learned trumpet and finally he started to play the bass after he had moved to Kent aged 13. He played in several school bands, e.g. "Time Out".
Short facts:
- Guy likes collecting rare vinyl singles and albums - he once even paid £100 for a rare vinyl copy of "Hell" by James Brown.
- His first band, "Time Out", mainly played Genesis covers.
Drummer: Will Champion
Born on 31 July, 1978
in Southampton
Family: Both of his parents were music teachers, while his father Timothy Champion is now professor of archaelogy at the University of Southhampton. Will's mother Sara Champion died during the recordings of "Parachutes", that's why this LP is dedicated to her. Another insider information: During the shoot of 'Yellow', Sara's funeral took place and that's why Chris is all alone on the beach.
Will is married to Marianne Dark, a teacher - Will was the first of the bandmembers to get married (in 2003)! At the end of March 2006, it's been confirmed that Will and Marianne expect their first baby in Spring 2006.
Musical background: As his parents taught music, it was no miracle that Will started learning instruments very early. As a teenager, Will played in a band called "Fat Hamster".
Short facts:
- Compared to the other band members, Will didn't have a privileged education.
- According to Chris, Will is a "human jukebox": "He knows more songs than anyone. You name it, he'll play it."
Private lives:
I guess that especially the female fans are interested in the guy's relationships:
Chris, Will and Guy are all married while Jonny has a longtime girlfriend. Will married first, a beautiful woman called Marianne, a couple of years ago. They were followed by Chris who married the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow on December 5, 2003, in Southern California. Guy married the designer and stylist Joanna in 2004.
Here are the gorgeous women in the guys' lives:
From left to right: Gwyneth Paltrow; Marianne Champion (at Live 8, watching her hubby Will on stage); Chloe (at a public event with her boyfriend Jonny) and Joanna Berryman (with Sid, Guy's and Joanna's dog)
Chris is the only band member SO FAR who's already a father - his daughter Apple Blythe Alison was born on May 14, 2005 and his son Moses was born on April 9, 2006.
But Chris won't stay the only daddy in the band for long - it's been reported recently that Will and his wife Marianne expect their first baby soon.
This is a very nice picture of the whole band taking little baby Apple for a walk in London and the right pic shows Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, showing her happiness after their daughter's birth in May 2004:
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